When city officials don't respect our opinions, they lose our respect

You've heard all those jokes that begin with, "Guy walks into a bar." Well, check this one out:

"Guy walks into a Rochester zoning board of adjustment hearing about a fish processing plant wanting to build its facility in the city.
And scores of citizens have come to oppose the move.
So after the first speaker lambastes city officials for seeking to allowing a gross-smelling fish plant, the guy gets up and says the same thing, that it's gross, but the ZBA chair says wait, you can't argue the same thing, that's redundant, so what I'm going to do now is ask for a show of hands in the audience who think having a fish processing plant is gross.
"The chair sees that everyone in the audience raises their hand, and the chair says 'so if you're gonna talk about the smell, there's no need to speak' and moves on to the next item on the agenda."
How patronizing and insulting is that?
But that's what the Zoning Board of Appeals was discussing at its their last meeting on Wednesday.
During the meeting ZBA Chairman Larry Spector said "legal," meaning City Attorney Terence O'Rourke, told him he could limit the number of people to speak who are voicing the same objection.

Well, you know the smell of a fish processing plant can travel a long way. Ask the folks in Lubec, Maine.
Everyone who wants to speak needs to be allowed to speak.

Also I'm pretty sure that many courts in New Hampshire have found that abutters and the public in general all need to be allowed to speak. In fact, a ZBA that refuses to hear testimony during a public hearing could have its decision overturned on appeal.
Spector also noted that (O'Rourke) also advised him that he should limit residents to five minutes.
That's just not right, either.

Make no mistake, everyone that is affected by these rezoning decisions the city is continually messing with can have a huge downside, such as the decrease in home value or quality of life.
If every city councilor and every city official comes out and says they'd be happy to have a smelly fish plant - or a 10-story apartment building - next door to their house, all I can say, in the kindest terms, they'd be being a bit "disingenuous."
Lastly, if you have been denied the opportunity to speak at a ZBA public hearing, you may want to consider filing a motion for rehearing under RSA 677:2 or seeking legal counsel to explore further actions.
But you shouldn't have to do that, not if you have responsible and respectful leadership.